Reviews and Comments

A very well-written and perceptive dissection of relationships and families, exploring how difficult it can be for some people to grapple with something painful in their past. It's powerful when Peter realizes that others (for example, his clients) have been trying to move on and live their lives. It captures interactions so well, like showing Ann's careful mental navigation of every conversation. The immigration law aspect of the book is timely and fascinating. There isn't much humor, and I thought some of the dialogue among the teenagers (i.e., in the flashbacks to Peter's youth) was a bit stilted, but overall I enjoyed it a lot. I know I'll be thinking about it. P.S. There was a revealing Biblioracle interview with the author; the most interesting thing to me was the discussion about the point of view: first person for Peter and close third person for Ann.

This was just as good as everyone said (see Bookmarks). It is long, but to me it never felt like a slog. It also has a fair amount of violence, but apparently I have a much higher tolerance for sword and sorcery-type violence than for gun violence. It's exciting, funny and very well written. The magical battle between Nimue and Merlin had me on the edge of my seat, and that chapter also provided one of my favorite quotes: It was his soul that had been lost, and like so many who'd lost their souls, he had to insist the bargain was worth it and show contempt for those who still had theirs. I really enjoyed getting the backstory for Nimue and each of the knights. Although it's fantasy, it touches on serious/current issues (e.g., diversity, mental health and immigration), and I appreciated that. Excellent storytelling, and I thought the audiobook narration by Nicholas Guy Smith was great as well.

A very engaging and well-written book that's part dystopian novel and part YA thriller, with some magical realism and a little humor thrown in as well. I really enjoyed the folklore aspects of the story and the relationship between the great protagonist, Sil, and her mother.

I decided to read this after seeing Anne Tyler's recent interview in The Guardian, where she said: “How we handle day-to-day life as we go through it, with its disappointments and its pleasures, that’s all I want to know.” But also, she's already working on her next novel, and apparently she's done with trying to avoid politics in her books: "It seemed so wrong to have any character going about normal life after that horrendous election." Can't wait to see what she comes up with.

As for Three Days in June, it's Tyler's usual bittersweet and amusing focus on a semi-dysfunctional white family, this time in the context of a wedding. Anyway, what can I say? I'm a fan.

It's well-written, and Wash's journeys (both physical and psychological) are engaging for the most part, but overall I felt a bit disappointed. I think my expectations were probably too high due to some of the rave reviews.

OK, I was pretty annoyed by the ending. Also, there was some stereotyping that I could have done without, and some parts were a bit clunky. Overall, though, this was a very engaging reading experience. I liked the multiple perspectives and the jumping between Chicagoland and French Polynesia. There were some remarkable scenes, especially on Makatea and in the water during Evie's dives. The parts focused on the manta rays and other marine life really conveyed a sense of wonder. There was a chapter about half-way through the book when it shifted to the perspective of "the Queen" as she made her way around Makatea, talking to various people, thinking about the past, recalling songs and stories, and I enjoyed that. It's an ambitious book (tackling so many issues concerning the ocean, AI, pollution, science, sexism, art, democracy, "play," colonization, memory, etc.), and I guess for me it mostly succeeded despite its flaws.

One of my favorite reads of 2024. So good in every respect ... and just great storytelling overall. It made me glad that I've spent time in Duluth and other places around Lake Superior, including the Apostle Islands. The audiobook narration by David Aaron Baker was excellent as well.

I had been meaning to read this for a while, but it took on greater urgency after the 2024 election. It's an eye-opening book that provides essential historical context and important insights into how tyrants rise to power. Since this is the graphic edition, there's a note at the end by the illustrator, Nora Krug, explaining some the choices she made with the artwork ... very interesting.

OK, wow (4.5 stars). This was very good, but it was unsettling from the start, pushing my anxiety buttons in an impressive way. I saw the mostly rave reviews on Bookmarks but didn't read any of them, so I went into the book not knowing much about it and maybe that added to the suspense. Thoughtful and quirky, with some interesting observations about parenting, technology, consumerism, etc.

Well-written and exciting, with a good sense of humor. I enjoyed the magical archipelago setting. It has a familiar fantasy story arc - i.e., a young "chosen" protagonist goes on a quest to fight against evil with the help of some friends and protectors (to some extent, it reminded me of both Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings) - but it's inventive enough to stand out in its own right. I wouldn't mind having one of those flying coats. My favorite part was the scene where they meet the jaculus dragon. I definitely saw parallels to our climate change reality, e.g. government dragging its feet in the face of catastrophic changes in the sea, so I appreciated that.

Excellent writing, of course, plus biting humor and a fun story (it's especially enjoyable having Jason Isaacs narrate the audiobook). There are so many great touches beyond the art theft/murder mystery plot itself, like the women's voices that Jackson has internalized; when that "Court of Women" cocked its collective eyebrow at one of his questionable notions, causing him to pause and reframe his thinking, I laughed out loud. I was very fond of some of the other characters, too, including Ben (Kindness to others, his greatest failing in his own eyes, forced him to put on a brave face) and also Simon the vicar, who is made fun of (paddling in the intellectual shallows) but also portrayed quite sympathetically - I really enjoyed his memory of trying to go on a pilgrimage and ending up with a group of Texas students who knew the Scriptures better than he did (don't miss Jason Isaacs doing the Texas accent!).